Good snacks to have around

[CousinT]

Hi All,
Having company tomorrow, cousin has JD, 13 yrs.old, sugars are all over the map.  Her mother, my aunt, is completely neurotic about every bite that goes in her mouth-- literally measures each meal/snack with a nurse's precision ( such as breaking a cookie in half or even quarters), even takes into consideration what she didn't finish on her plate.   Anyway, I can't have company without serving something, what would be a good idea to have on the table.  
Thank you in advance for your help, I see there are many more serious problems than my curious little question.  Good health to you all, T

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Hi Cousin T!  How nice of you to be concerned about serving something that will meet your cousin's dietary needs.  The important thing to remember is that all of us need to refrain from processed foods & too much sugar.  A well balanced, healthy meal is all that is really called for (whether it's lunch or dinner that you're serving).  A starch (whole grain breads, or baked french fries or mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes), veggie (cooked or raw), and a lean meat (chicken or lean beef) or fish make a great menu.  You can't miss by serving an angel food cake with fresh fruit for dessert.  I made an angel food cake for easter by taking a can of light cherries (the kind you put on cheesecake)and mixing it with the dry angel food cake mix.  Pour into a Pam sprayed 9x13 and cook for 38-48 minutes @ 350 degrees.  It was great served with lite cool whip too!
I can relate to your cousin's mom being very careful as to what is eaten and also about being neurotic too as my daughter was diagnosed at 21 months.  Especially with a 13 year old, it is very very difficult to regulate those blood sugars with hormones and all the other physical changes that kids go through.  Please let her know that we're here if she has any questions and there's also a great website through the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.org if she wants to check them out also.
Good luck with your company!

[CousinT]

Thank you so much, that was very helpful.  The cake sounds great too, I'm on my way to the store.  :)

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Parents of munchkins with diabetes also appreciate ingredients lists and recipe cards with the menu on it.  Many folks do "carbohydrate counting" and can estimate how many carbos are in any given meal based on the ingredients & serving sizes.  YOu don't need to compute all that, but just showing mom or dad the ingredients can go a long way to lessening everyone's concerns.  AND, the child can then really enjoy a piece of whatever is served.

It's so thoughtful of you to ask ... I hope your event went deliciously well!

[TonyAlmeida]

A tasty treat I sometimes have (which will require a bolus if you eat more than 1 - but sadly anything tasty to a diabetic does ...) are Tastycake Sensables ... the Sugar Free Orange Finger Cakes.  1 cake is approx. 11 carbs.  Strip out 4 carbs of fiber and 3 carbs sugar alcohols and you have a 4 carb cake.  Before anyone points this out, they have 140 mg of sodium (take out the real sugar, you need something to bind it together).  I've seen Adkins bars the same size with 800 mg of sodium, so I don't think 1 or 2 cakes will harm you.  Just don't over do it.

[Arkylady]

I saw a recipe for the Angel Food cake with cherries. Here is a great way to prepare a delicious dessert and wonderful for this time of year.

One Angel Food cake cut in half
Container fresh strawberries, sliced
Splenda
Cool Whip

Slice strawberries and sprinkle with Splenda (to desired taste), place half on first layer of cake, place second layer on top, add remaining berries and then cover with Cool Whip.

Simple, tasty and great for any holiday!